In business, it is desirable to be able to communicate messages, advertisements or both in inexpensive ways that attract attention but are also flexible enough to allow for ready transportation of the sign to a near location and/or modification of the message being communicated.
The prior art teaches many devices which attempt to provide these benefits. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,071 teaches a fabric faced billboard comprising a sheet of fabric having the advertising message thereon pulled across a rigid billboard panel, wherein air is blown into the billboard, thereby causing the sheet of fabric to remain a smooth, continuous surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,591 teaches an inflatable display structure which uses an elongated inflated bag for its principal structural support. A display facing is releasably mounted directly onto the inflated bag by snaps or the like. The bag also includes a plurality of gussets within the bag, thereby providing a substantially flat surface for mounting the display facing thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,121 teaches a self-contained inflatable sign which comprises a translucent envelope with a series of lights therein and a banner mounted onto the envelope.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,081 teaches an inflatable portable sign which comprises a support post and a balloon having printed matter thereon. In use, the post is inserted into the ground and the balloon is inflated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,236 teaches a device for stretching a flexible sheet over a support frame for using the flexible sheet as a visual panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,916 teaches a two-piece display balloon holder.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 413,933 teaches an inflated, enclosed support to which a sign is mounted.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 337,129 teaches an inflated sign wherein the sign is enclosed within an envelope which is in turn inflated and sealed
U.S. Design Pat. No. 334,031 teaches an inflatable sign which is effectively a flat balloon having indicia printed on a front face thereof.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 306,746 teaches a blimp-shaped sign onto which a banner or facing is directly attached.
However, these devices are subject to damage from even moderate winds. As will be apparent to one knowledgeable in the art, damage to the inflatable sign results in lost advertising time and therefore lost revenue. Clearly, an improved inflated sign which incurs minimal damage from moderate to high winds is needed.
According to the invention, there is provided an inflatable billboard comprising:
an inflatable frame having a top portion, a base portion and two sides, thereby defining an opening;
an advertising face mounted within the opening,
releasable connectors mounting the advertising face to the inflatable frame, said releasable connectors being manually releasable; and
detachable connectors mounting the advertising face to the inflatable frame, said detachable connectors releasing in response to wind pressure.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: